1-1 By: Elkins (Senate Sponsor - Patterson) H.B. No. 2502 1-2 (In the Senate - Received from the House May 12, 1997; 1-3 May 13, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal 1-4 Justice; May 18, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote: 1-5 Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 18, 1997, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to the venue for prosecution of the offense of failing or 1-9 refusing to pay the toll imposed for the operation of a motor 1-10 vehicle on a toll project of certain counties. 1-11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-12 SECTION 1. Section 284.070, Transportation Code, is amended 1-13 by adding Subsection (d) to read as follows: 1-14 (d) In a county with a population over 2.8 million, an 1-15 offense under this section may be prosecuted in any precinct in the 1-16 county in which the offense was committed. 1-17 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. The 1-18 change in law made by this Act applies only to the prosecution for 1-19 an offense committed on or after September 1, 1997. The 1-20 prosecution of an offense committed before September 1, 1997, is 1-21 covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed, and 1-22 the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For 1-23 purposes of this section, an offense was committed before September 1-24 1, 1997, if any element of the offense occurred before that date. 1-25 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-26 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-27 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-28 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-29 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-30 * * * * *